About the Job
While other companies talk about it, we do it!
Rocket Lab’s Neutron team is responsible for bringing our new large rocket Neutron and its launch and test sites to life. From designing and testing Neutron’s structures and components, to firing up its new Archimedes engines, to setting up Neutron’s launch pads and test sites across the United States, joining the N...
We're looking for a Senior Aerodynamics Analyst to join our Thermofluids Analysis team, responsible for predicting the aerodynamics and aerothermal environments Electron & Neutron experience throughout all mission phases.
Key Responsibilities
Generate aerotables and characterise vehicle performance—covering stability, control authority, loads, pressure distributions, and aerodynamic design of vehicle control surfaces
Perform, validate, and document CFD analyses of external flow across hypersonic, transonic and subsonic regimes, and characterise aerodynamic and heating environments, transients, and separation events
Model plumes and plume interactions (base heating, PIFS, impingement) and define re-entry architecture, including ballistic coefficients, ConOps, and compartment venting
Work closely with design and test engineers to iterate design concepts, determine test requirements, and demonstrate positive margins through numerical analysis, and physical test
Works closely with the GNC team to enable them to safely land and recover Neutron’s 1st Stage
Process and interpret ground test and flight data—confirming MPE bounds, detecting out-of-family results, and resolving sensor configuration issues
Required Skills & Abilities
A degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or similar field
5+ years industry experience, ideally from the Aerospace, Automotive, or Marine industries
A keen physics and first principles-based approach to problem solving
Expertise with one or more industry standard CFD packages: Fluent, CFX, STAR-CCM+
Experience in engineering programming, especially using Python (including Python packages numpy, pandas, scipy, matplotlib, etc.)
Demonstrated ability executing to changing deadlines in a high-pressure and fast-paced work environment
Experience using NX CAD and Teamcenter packages (or comparable industry standard packages) with emphasis on model interrogation and defeaturing for subsequent analysis
Experience with sensor selection and data post-processing/ interpretation (accelerometers, strain gauges, thermocouples etc.)
Experience with one or more industry standard thermal modelling packages: Thermal Desktop, THERMICA, NX SST
Experience in mentoring junior engineers
